Beagle Misbehaving

Question
My Beagle just turned 2 years old.  We keep him indoors with us.  The problem I seem to have is that he gets into the trash at night.  I try to remember to take it out before bed every night, but sometimes forget due to a long day and getting kids ready for bed.  The issue is he won't so much as look at the trash when we are around.  He just seems to be waiting for us to leave.  What can I do to get him to obey the rules of the house when I am not around? It's like he has a halo over his head when I am awake and the horns pop out when I'm asleep.

Answer
He sounds like a sneaky dog. The problem is you must catch him in the act to make a correction. Also, you can never catch him doing well (not getting in the trash) because, he will not know what he is doing right.
He may be hungry, love the trash because it has his family scent on it (like dogs love shoes) or it may just be scavenger behavior.
You can do things to make the trash less appealing but, the best thing would be to make him unable to get the trash. Keep the trash under the sink, block off the area where the trash can is or invest in a trash can with a strong lid.
I have a beagle (and a terrier) that loves the bathroom trash.They love anything with human scent on it. Every time we came home we found toilet paper and Q-tips around the house. We would keep the bathroom door close but, if we forgot they would get into the bathroom trash.
Investing in a strong trash can with a lid will correct the problem and is well worth the small investment. Plus, we love the new stylish look.